Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has announced that a royal decree has been issued raising the social security pension to SR1320 from SR1100,.an increase of 20 percent.

This directive shows the keenness of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman in improving the living standard of male and female citizens by reducing their financial burdens. The directive was issued by the King in line with a recommendation made by Crown Prince and Prime Minister and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs Mohammed bin Salman.

The King also issued a directive to continue opening registration and additional financial support for beneficiaries of the Citizen’s Account Program for a period of three months.

The royal decree also authorized the Citizen Account Committee to add parameters with the aim of raising the efficiency of support and ensuring that it reaches the most deserving segments of Saudi society.

The extension of support to the beneficiaries of the Citizen’s Account Program comes as an extension of the previous directive that came into force in July 2022, and the support has been continued until covering the beneficiaries of the September 2023 batch.

The increase in the basic minimum pension will contribute directly to meeting the most basic needs of every beneficiary, according to Mohammed Al-Rizqi, spokesman for the ministry. He said the decision will come into force from Nov. 1, 2023, and the increase will be applied to all beneficiaries automatically without the need for the beneficiary to take any action from their side.

“The social security pension for the breadwinner will now be SR1320 instead of SR1100, and for the dependent, it will be SR660 instead of SR550. The increase covers all eligible family members without exceeding the per-family upper limit of SR5000,” he said.

Al-Rizqi said this directive aims to contribute to establishing the necessary means and measures to address the neediest cases in society. “It will ensure a minimum income that meets the basic needs of the beneficiaries, and provide social support and protection to them, taking into account the most needy and the most deserving. It will also empower the beneficiaries through achieving financial independence,” he added.